Work-Life Balance in Italy pre-, during and post-COVID-19

2021 ◽  
Vol 28 (1) ◽  
pp. 37-46
Author(s):  
Olga Rymkevich

The COVID-19 pandemic is bringing immense pressure to bear on labour law and social security institutions in all countries of the world, while having a major impact on work-life balance. The total lockdown, also of schools and higher education, the unprecedented fall in the level of production, the reduced possibility of relying on other family members, friends and domestic workers, traditionally constituting the essential pillars of formal and informal caring, in addition to working from home with children doing their schooling online (in large part on the parents’ shoulders) have compelled families to face new and abrupt organizational changes. The aim of this article is to investigate the legislative measures such as parental leave (ordinary and emergency) adopted in Italy aimed at supporting families during the pandemic, with a view to assessing their effectiveness and the impact on the Italian labour market during and after the pandemic. For this purpose, the socio-economic and legal framework dealing with parental leave before the COVID-19 emergency will be outlined, followed an the analysis of the emergency measures to provide support for parents, concluding with some reflections on possible future developments.

2018 ◽  
Vol 7 (2) ◽  
pp. 31-48
Author(s):  
Rima Charbaji El-Kassem

Purpose The overall goal of this paper is to explore via Gap and TOWS analysis if organizations are offering innovative benefits from the perspective of married employees that make being a working dad or mom easier in Qatar. Design/methodology/approach A large convenient sample of 824 working Qataris were surveyed, using a 15-item instrument based on previous research. The researchers used factor analysis to ascertain construct validity, based on two suitability tests: First, the Kaisers-Meyer-Olkin (KMO) measure of sampling adequacy generated a score of 0.807, well above the recommended level of 0.50. Second, the Bartless test of sphericity result was significant (Chi Square = 2079.671, P= 0.00), indicating that there are adequate inter-correlations between the items which allow the use of factor analysis. Findings Findings of the gap analysis validate the trust – building model between leaders and followers from the employee’s perspective. The responses identified in this study enhance the trust in leaders who behave ethically, treat employees fairly, and promote work-life balance. This is an indication that Qatar’s National Vision 2030 introduced by Qatar government is transforming organizations’ values and attitudes in Qatar so that they perform beyond expectations. Additionally, findings of TWOS analysis identified four employer benefits items that are considered opportunities and eight employer benefits items that are identified as threats for the organizations in Qatar as a whole. Also, findings of path analysis confirm that the impact of “gap in perceived supervisor support” on “gap in perceived development of a caring organization” is strengthened via the intervening of “gap in perceived child-friendly working hours” and “gap in perceived parental leave”. Originality Qatar’s National Vision 2030 has set new future trends that demand changes in organizational culture and the empirical findings of this article should help decision and policy makers in Qatar to determine where change is possible and to focus on priorities as well as possibilities.


Energies ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 14 (15) ◽  
pp. 4556
Author(s):  
Anuradha Iddagoda ◽  
Eglantina Hysa ◽  
Helena Bulińska-Stangrecka ◽  
Otilia Manta

Some of the frequently used buzz words in the corporate sector include green leadership, green human resource management, green employee engagement and green work-life balance. The intention of this article is to identify and examine the logical reasons that govern “green work-life balance” or, in simple terms, “greenwashing” work-life balance. The paper also aims at providing a comprehensive conceptualization of work-life balance, while thoroughly examining the components of measuring the construct. Based on a cross-sectional study in the banking industry with a sample of 170 managerial employees, this study analyzes the impact of work-life balance on employee job performance mediated by employee engagement. Results support the assumed relationship between work-life balance and employee job performance embedded in employee engagement. The theoretical contribution of this study concerns the application of role behavior theory to describe the mechanisms shaping the relationship between work-life balance and job performance through employee engagement. The practical implications of the paper include recommendations for improving job performance by enhancing the work-life balance and strengthening employee engagement.


2018 ◽  
Vol 33 (4) ◽  
pp. 415-419 ◽  
Author(s):  
Eric J. Ip ◽  
Tristan A. Lindfelt ◽  
Annie L. Tran ◽  
Amanda P. Do ◽  
Mitchell J. Barnett

Introduction The percentage of women pharmacy students and pharmacy faculty has greatly increased over the last 40 years. However, it is not known whether gender differences exist in terms of career satisfaction, work–life balance, and stress in the pharmacy academia workplace. Methods Results from a national web-based survey administered to American Association of Colleges of Pharmacy (AACP) members were utilized. Bivariate analyses were conducted to compare differences among faculty according to gender (men vs women). A series of multivariate models controlling for demographic and other faculty and school-level factors were created to explore the impact of gender on satisfaction with current position, satisfaction with work–life balance, and perceived stress. Results Among the 802 survey respondents, 457 (57.0%) women were more likely to be younger, hold a lower academic rank, and be in a pharmacy practice department, relative to 345 (43.0%) men. In adjusted results, men pharmacy faculty were more likely to report being extremely satisfied with their current job, more likely to report being extremely satisfied with their work–life balance, and score lower on a standardized stress measure relative to women. Conclusion While primarily descriptive, the results suggest women pharmacy faculty in the United States are less satisfied with their current academic position, less satisfied with their current work–life balance, and have higher stress levels compared to men even after controlling for age, academic rank, and department (along with other factors). Further research is needed to explore and address causes of the observed gender-related differences among pharmacy faculty.


2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Christopher Paul Cain ◽  
Lisa Nicole Cain ◽  
James A. Busser ◽  
Hee Jung (Annette) Kang

PurposeThis study sought to understand how having a calling influenced engagement, work–life balance and career satisfaction for Professional Golfers Association of America (PGA) and Golf Course Superintendent of America (GCSA) professionals.Design/methodology/approachA conceptual model was used to examine callings among golf course supervisors and its impact on their engagement, work–life balance and career satisfaction. This study also explored the moderation effect of employees’ generalized or specialized role on the calling–engagement relationship. Surveys were collected from a single golf management company and partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) was used for data analysis.FindingsThe results revealed significant relationships among all of the variables, with the exception of the impact of having a calling on work–life balance. Additionally, the more having a calling increased, the more important it was for supervisors to have specialized roles to increase their engagement.Originality/valueThis study identifies important differences in factors that promote career satisfaction for golf course supervisors and extends current understanding of role theory.


Author(s):  
Irene Valero Pizarro ◽  
Gamze Arman

Difficulties in balancing work and non-work roles have a negative impact on an individual’s life satisfaction. This study investigates the relationship between work-life balance and life satisfaction across the United Kingdom and Spain. It also explores the moderating effects of individual orientations of collectivism and gender identity. The used scales measured Work-life Balance (WLB), Life Satisfaction (LS), Collectivism vs. Individualism orientations, and Gender identity. Collectivism/Individualism was measured and analysed at individual-level rather than at cultural-level. Data was collected from 52 British and 69 Spanish full-time employed women through an online survey. Correlational analyses and hierarchical multiple regression were conducted. Findings indicated that work-life balance had positive effects on life satisfaction across two different cultures. Those effects were stronger for British than Spanish women. Moderating effects were not found. Although, work-life balance, collectivism individual-orientation, and feminine identity predicted life satisfaction in the UK and only work-life balance predicted life satisfaction in Spain. This study extends the literature on work-life balance and life satisfaction relationship and the influence of culture, whilst also contributing to the under-researched area of the influence of gender identity on that relationship. The results might contribute to developing better strategies for promoting work-life balance


2016 ◽  
Vol 12 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Jahanvash Karim ◽  

Purpose: - The impact of work-life balance on work-related outcomes has been the focus of much attention by researchers in organizational behavior and psychology. The aim of this study was to extend this literature by examining the potential moderating effect of religiosity on the relationship between satisfaction with work-life balance and job satisfaction. Methodology/Sample: - Data from The European Social Survey (ESS Round 6 Edition 1.2) provided the basis for this study (N= 21621). Findings: - Results suggested that satisfaction with work-life balance was positively related to job satisfaction and religiosity fostered the effect of satisfaction with work-life balance on job satisfaction. Practical Implications:- The findings of this study suggest that religiosity holds relevance to a variety of work outcomes. Faith and involvement in religious activities act as a personal resource, making individuals more resilient to cope with the challenges arising from work-life imbalance.


2012 ◽  
Vol 18 (1) ◽  
pp. 53-63 ◽  
Author(s):  
Colleen Yuile ◽  
Artemis Chang ◽  
Amanda Gudmundsson ◽  
Sukanlaya Sawang

AbstractAn employee's inability to balance work and non-work related responsibilities has resulted in an increase in stress related illnesses. Historically, research into the relationship between work and non-work has primarily focused on work/family conflict, predominately investigating the impact of this conflict on parents, usually mothers. To date research has not sufficiently examined the management practices that enable all ‘individuals’ to achieve a ‘balance’ between work and life. This study explores the relationship between contemporary life friendly, HR management policies and work/life balance for individuals as well as the effect of managerial support to the policies. Self-report questionnaire data from 1241 men and women is analysed and discussed to enable organizations to consider the use of life friendly policies and thus create a convergence between the well-being of employees and the effectiveness of the organization.


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